


Snowfall

by ladylagunitas



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, College AU, F/F, Fluff, Fluffy, Nervous Flirting, Winter, gender is a scam, have a feminine HQ universe, lesbian wedding, yamaguchi and tsukishima meet as adults
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:48:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22428082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylagunitas/pseuds/ladylagunitas
Summary: Tadashi is thrilled to be a part of Saeko and Kiyoko's wedding party, even if she's a little nervous about partying with old friends and those she doesn't know as well. But she falls quickly into the celebrations, surprised when she hits it off with one of their college friends, Tsukishima.**this is a gender swap au**
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Saeko, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> a reader mentioned wanting to see more yamaguchi and tsukishima so this has been knocking around in my head since then!!

Tadashi double checks the number on the house against her phone one last time, just to make sure that the lovely, two-storey brick house is really where she needs to be. Taking a deep breath, she puts her phone and hands in her pockets. It’s cold and she’s trying not to fidget.

The door swings open to Hinata’s bright voice, and she yells “ _Yamaguchi’s hereeee!”_ before launching into her arms, laughing.

She yelps, barely managing to catch Hinata in time but keeps them both from falling down the steps. Hinata is warm from being inside and she squishes Tadashi so close that she feels like she’s going to pop.

“Hi, Hinata,” she says breathlessly, “You’re crushing me.”

“Ohh!” she drops back onto her feet and grins broadly, “Sorry! I just can’t believe it’s been so long!” She grabs Tadashi by the coat sleeve and yanks her inside, “Come on, come on! We’ve been waiting for you! I was just about to crush Tobio at this game I think you would love _ — _ ”

Her old friend tugs her along, not even giving her a moment to remove her coat. On the inside, the house is far bigger and more beautiful than she was expecting. It’s roomy but cozy, pictures line the walls and shoes of all sizes are piled up by the door.

“You’re the last one here,” Hinata continues, leading her down the hallway. “Everyone just started eating, there’s pizza and snacks, and after we’re going dancing!”

Tadashi frees her arm from Hinata’s grasp and groans, “ _ Dancing? _ You know I suck at dancing.”

“That’s okay!” Hinata says honestly, pausing at the end of the hallway, “Daichi and Suga aren’t getting here until tomorrow, so there’s no chance of a repeat of  _ last time _ .”

“Oh, god,” her face instantly floods with heat at the memory of her last time out dancing with all of them. Hinata cackles mercilessly.

She’s spared from reliving the memory by their arrival into the kitchen. Everyone is crammed in at the table, and a chorus of excited voices greet her. Kiyoko disentangles herself and all but rushes to Tadashi. “It’s so good to see you,” she says, pulling her into a tight hug.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Tadashi replies, squeezing her. “I’m so happy for you both.”

Saeko flings both of her arms around the two of them, knocking their heads together before wrangling them into a clumsy group hug. “Tadashi! We’ve been waiting for you, we’re so glad you could make it.”

She smiles, nestling into the warmth, “Nothing could have stopped me from coming.”

“Are you hungry? How was your flight?” Saeko releases them and Kiyoko slips away, sending Tadashi a knowing look before beginning to fix a plate.

“I could eat,” Tadashi answers, shrugging off her jacket, “And the flight was good! It took me longer to get to the airport than the flight itself. I slept most of the way,” she admits, laughing. 

“Great, so you’re ready for the festivities!” Saeko grins, her eyes dancing with excitement. “I’ll take your coat, get settled!”

Kiyoko appears at Tadashi’s side the moment Saeko disappears with her jacket, handing Tadashi a plate. “Here, let’s sit,” she says, easing her into the social fray, “You remember Yui and Kaori, right? I think you met when you came to visit us for that concert.” The two girls in question look up from the game and wave at the sound of their names, and Kiyoko moves on, “And I can’t remember, did you meet Saeko’s sister, Ryunosuke?” 

“We met briefly. Nice to see you again,” Tadashi says, smiling and giving a little wave when Ryunosuke glances up. 

Everyone from Kiyoko’s and Tadashi’s hometown is present, including Yachi, Shouyou, and Yui, and the rest of the crowd is a mix of people from Kiyoko’s and Saeko’s college. Tadashi recognizes almost all of them from photos and stories over the years, and is especially pleased to see Noya and Asahi at the table. Meeting those two had been a highlight of Tadashi’s few visits to Kiyoko’s school. Across the table from her is Tsukishima, who’s a vision in her all-black, neatly-tailored outfit.

Tadashi is crushed between Hinata and Noya while she eats her pizza and is quickly sucked into a loud recollection of several wild college nights. The group was a little rowdy, having been playing games and drinking since before Tadashi’s arrival, but there’s a fun, upbeat atmosphere surrounding them all. Hinata and Noya are all but shouting over each other, and Tadashi gets a sympathetic, knowing look from Tobio, who’s just as comfortable in social situations as she is.

An hour later, after the pizza is gone and there’s a significant dent in the number of beverages in the fridge, Saeko stands up and shouts, “Alright! Let’s go dancing because the day after tomorrow,” she grabs Kiyoko by the waist and twirls her around, “I’m marrying this beautiful woman!” Kiyoko, blushing, throws back her head and laughs, her glasses askew.

A cheer goes up through their group, a few wolf whistles punctuating the laugher and shouting, and Tadashi grins from ear to ear. She remembers, like it was yesterday, when Kiyoko had called her to tell her about the beautiful girl she’d met at a party.

_ I just know. She’s the one for me _ , she’d said.

They noisily put on their shoes and coats and head out as a big, silly group, their spirits high. Hinata and Noya keep getting louder and louder, encouraged whenever Tobio tries to tell them to shut up. Tadashi trails behind them, grinning but tugging the collar of her coat higher around her neck.

It’s colder than she expected in Asahikawa, and her breath comes out in cloudy white puffs. She tucks her chin into her coat and regrets not bringing a hat. 

“Cold?” 

Tadashi, keeping her face as protected as possible, squints up and is startled to find Tsukishima beside her. She’d been so preoccupied with warming herself up that she hadn’t even noticed that they were walking side by side. 

“Yeah, it’s way colder than at home,” she admits, “I'm freezing.” 

“It’s supposed to snow tomorrow,” she says, grinning a little when Tadashi shudders.

Tilting her head to the sky, she looks at the stars and laments, “I didn’t even bring a hat.”

Tsukishima’s shoulder bumps hers and she glances over, realizing that she’s unwinding the scarf from around her neck. “Can’t have anyone in the bridal party catching a cold out here,” she explains, handing the scarf to her.

Tadashi takes it, too surprised at the show of kindness to even think about refusing. She tucks it around her neck and finds it warm. She sighs, her shoulders dropping away from her ears. “Thank you.”

Humming, Tsukishima puts her hands in her pockets, a slight smile on her lips. “Are you still living in Miyagi?”

Pleasantly surprised that she remembers, Tadashi nods quickly, “I’m in Sendai, what about you?” They’d met a few times before, but she really didn’t know Tsukishima that well. 

“Natori,” she answers.

“We’re practically neighbors! Have you been to that local bookstore? The one that’s pretty close to the river.”

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow, asking, “Not the one by the university?”

They try to figure out the one Tadashi means, running through a list of bookshops and somehow ending up talking about each of their merits and shortcomings. From there, the conversation drifts to poetry and coffee, and eventually they realize that their individual work has taken them to many of the same places. 

“You work at Crow’s Nest?” Tsukishima asks, once they finally get around to talking about themselves. “I’ve been there.”

Tadashi perks up, the cold forgotten. Not many know about the tiny hole-in-the-wall bookshop where she both works and lives. 

She wants to ask Tsukishima so many questions, but Hinata’s voice cuts through the chilly night, “Hey you two! Get a move on! You’ll be left behind!”

Tadashi looks ahead and realizes that the rest of the group  _ has _ left them behind, and only Hinat stands on the sidewalk ahead of them. “Whoops, sorry!”

“Hurry up, it’s  _ cold _ !” 

Kei and Tadashi exchange a glance then hurry down to meet Shouyou at the entrance of the bar where they’re beginning the rest of the night. The place is definitely cool, way cooler than anything Tadashi would pick but definitely in Saeko and Kiyoko’s aesthetic realm. It’s dark, but there are glittering neon lights and futuristic art glowing on the walls. 

Dancing isn’t really Tadashi’s scene, so she heads to the bar, secretly pleased when Tsukishima trails behind her. Asahi is leaning against the bar, her hands already full of an assortment of drinks. Tadashi recognizes Kiyoko’s favorite cider among them. 

The music is loud, so when Tadashi tries to ask Asahi if she wants help, she doesn’t get very far. Asahi shrugs her off and melts into the crowd.Tadashi tries to flag down the bartender while wriggling out of her coat. She undoes one loop of Tsukishima's scarf but doesn’t take it off, glancing at her to make sure she didn’t want it back. But Tsukishima is watching their group melt into the crowd, and from the corner of her eye, Tadashi sees Hinata dragging Kageyama out onto the dancefloor. 

There aren’t many seats at the bar, so Tadashi beckons Tsukishima to come closer. She has to raise her voice to be heard over the music. “You going to order anything?”

“White Russian, please,” she replies. Her breath is warm on Tadashi’s ear and for some reason it makes her flush. 

Tadashi clears her throat and flags down the bartender to place their order. When their drinks arrive, they find the table where all of Hinata’s things are strewn about, along with the rest of the group’s jackets. Asahi, who is apparently standing guard, waves at them from the periphery of the dance floor. 

Sliding into the booth, Tadashi carefully pushes Hinata’s things aside and makes room for herself. Again, she’s surprised when Tsukishima sits next to her instead of going to the dancefloor.

“Not much of a dancer?” Tadashi asks as a new beat blares over the speakers. She has to lean close to be heard, but Tsukishima makes it easy for her by draping her arm over the back of the booth. The glossy buttons of her black shirt catch the colorful lights, her pale hair glowing like moonlight. Tadashi wonders if she even needs the additional drink, since she’s already feeling buzzed. She usually doesn’t get her tipsy-goggles out so early, but it’s been a long day.

“Not really,” she answers, her eyes are bright and perceptive behind her glasses. “You?”

Tadashi laughs, “Of course not,” she nervously brushes a hand through her hair. “So,” she says, glancing over discreetly. “When did you go to Crow’s Nest?” It kind of hurts her throat to shout, but she really wants to know Tsukishima’s opinion of the shop.

From their table, Tadashi sees Saeko almost comically dropping Kiyoko into a low dip before twirling her around again. The crowd closes around them, and there’s a flash of copper hair before the beat intensifies. She smiles, then looks back to Tsukishima, whose answer she obviously already missed. 

“Sorry, what?”

Tsukishima scoots closer, sliding her drink farther onto the table at the same time, “I said,” she continues, leaning  _ really  _ close, “That I found it by accident.”

_ Oh _ , Tadashi thinks, looking at her for what feels like the first time. Her focus is entirely on Tadashi, her expression attentive, her lips parted as she waits for a reply. Small studs glitter on her earlobes, matching the simple, elegant flash of silver decorating her wrists. Her fingers play on the bottom of her glass, plain rings adorning her slender fingers. Against the low, flickering colored light of the club, Tsukishima is celestial.

Tadashi clears her throat and drags her eyes away, her cheeks are warm and there’s a hum in her body that she chalks up to the drinks. She manages to ask a follow up question, and their private conversation continues, Tadashi reminding herself all the while that she’s just a little tipsy and excited to talk about books.They order a few more drinks, occasionally interrupted by the appearance of their panting, dance-happy friends at the table.

Eventually, Tadashi’s voice is sore and Saeko appears to drag the two of them onto the dancefloor. Tadashi tries to protest, she’s out celebrating her friend’s bachelorette party, so she stops caring about how bad and embarrassing her dancing is. The music is loud and good and soon she’s surrounded by a circle of her most dear friends who are laughing and twirling and egging her on. 

Hinata whoops and dances against her, clumsily leading her through a ridiculous series of steps that could have been considered a waltz under different circumstances. Their dance doesn’t match the beat, but it makes them both laugh. The redhead gives her a spin that sends her right into Asahi, who catches her gently and sets her back on her feet.

Tadashi wore the wrong shoes for dancing, and as she raises her arms and does a silly dance with Kiyoko, she knows she’ll be sore the next day. But she doesn’t care. She can’t dance, she looks ridiculous, but she’s having  _ fun _ . Her worries and stress fall away, and she’s in the moment, the music an island where she’s just with her best friends, laughing and singing. 

A different song comes on, one she recognizes, and she can’t help but squeal in excitement. It’s a throwback to their college days, and she  _ loves _ that song. It’s upbeat pop with a disgustingly catchy melody, but  _ who cares _ . She spins in a circle, getting ready to shout the opening verse, when her eyes land on Tsukishima.

She’s not really dancing, just rocking side to side with her drink held carefully out of danger, but she’s in the dance circle, which means she has to participate.

Tadashi holds out her hands, breathless, “Dance with me!” she shouts, her voice barely cutting through the sound.

Tsukishima hesitates, she’s holding back, glancing from her drink to Tadashi, and looks like she’s about to refuse. But Tadashi decides that she won’t let her miss out, not tonight.

Her bravery fueled by the drinks, she grabs Tsukishima’s hands, pulling into the rhythm. Kiyoko is there to save the drink, and Tsukishima comes gracessly into Tadashi’s space, probably with a little help from a shove. She smiles when Tadashi throws her head back and laughs, leading her through an uncoordinated jump and sway.

Tsukishima’s movements are self-conscious, but Tadashi twirls her, feeling more gracefully than she probably is, and catches her close against her chest. Even in the multi-colored lights, Tadashi can see a blush over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She grins, cajoling her with a quick: “Come on, Tsukki!”


	2. Chapter 2

Kiyoko’s and Saeko’s wedding service is beautiful and Tadashi cries the entire time. Later, she’ll see her sniffling face in the wedding photos and feel embarrassed, but when she sees the brides walking down the aisle all she cares about it how much she loves her friends and how gorgeous they are. They wear delicate, lacey dresses, Kiyoko’s with pastel pink accents and Saeko’s with cool, slate gray trim. Together, in the snow-palace venue they chose, they look like storybook princesses. 

Everyone cries when the pair recite their vows, and Tadashi notices that even Kiyoko’s stoney-faced father tears up when the officiant announces their union. When the brides share their first kiss as a married couple, Tadashi ugly-sobs into her bouquet. She’s so, so happy that she can be there for her friends and so grateful to be able to support their beautiful love for each other.

After the ceremony, there’s a reception with hors d'oeuvres, sparkling cocktails, and more photos than Tadashi can keep track of. The reception is packed with the brides’ families and there are children running around touching all of the decorations. There’s lots of happy conversation, and Saeko and Shimzu delicately slip between groups of people, making the rounds and saying hello to all of their friends and family. There is a lot of laughing, and Tadashi’s face begins to hurt from smiling so much.

She takes a moment to relax with a plate of food, carefully setting aside snacks for the brides for when they arrive at her little nook. Tadashi noticed that the married couple had barely had time for a drink of water since the end of the service, so she wants to give them a moment when they come by to visit.

Tsukishima settles onto the bench next to her and lifts a similarly-full plate of food, saying, “I think you and I had the same idea.”

“I knew they would wear themselves out,” Tadashi agrees. “What do you have there?” she asks, pointing to an unfamiliar hor d'oeuvre. 

She tilts her plate, inspecting it, “I think the waiter said it was a mushroom croquette?” 

“I didn’t even see those,” Tadashi sits up and peers around the crowd, asking, “Where did you get them?”

“Here, you can have some of mine, I grabbed extra.”

“Oh, are you sure?”

Tsukishima lifts an eyebrow, “Yes.”

“Well, I’ll take part of one, I don’t want to take too much.” Tadashi takes one, but then holds it awkwardly, not wanting to get crumbs and grease all over herself, “Um, should I just, break it, or?” she tentatively reaches for it with her other hand, intending to break it apart, but Tsukishima chuckles, stopping her.

“Here,” with graceful fingers, Tsukishima plucks it from her grasp and brings it to her mouth. She takes a bite, looking nothing short of a model in her wedding attire, and passes the remaining piece to Tadashi.

Her mouth dry and suddenly feeling as though words were beyond her, Tadashi pops the rest into her mouth, hoping that Tsukishima would expect no more conversation out of her. After their night out dancing, they’re friends, technically. At least, more than friends-of-friends, like they had been, but that gesture had felt more than friendly. 

The taste of the croquette was heavenly, good enough to disrupt Tadashi’s analysis of Tsukishima’s every move. She sighs as she chews. Kiyoko and Saeko had outdone themselves with the wedding planning.

Tsukishima chuckles again, licking a crumb off of her finger at the same time. Tadashi, this time unable to blame the warmth of her cheeks on alcohol, flushes. While Tadashi wore a simple, blue-grey satin dress, Tsukishima’s outfit for the wedding part was a trim suit, done in a darker slate grey that more closely matched the accents on Saeko’s dress. Both of their outfits have traces of pink and white, tying together the rest of the wedding party with the bridal gowns. 

Her hair fell around her shoulders like moonlight on a summer evening, perfectly styled to frame her exquisite features. Next to her, Tadashi feels like a teenager playing dress up. She turns her attention back to the plate, wondering how to steer the conversation into something she could handle.

“That dress really suits you,” Tsukishima says, sending Tadashi into a barely-controlled emotional tailspin. 

“O-oh,” she stammers, gracefully, of course. Her mouth went tight and wobbly at the same time, and she cleared her throat, looking away. “Th-thanks, you too, I mean— your, ah, your suit is nice.” Her face now bright red, Tadashi looks everywhere but at Tsukishima, seeking an escape route. Any longer and she would surely make a fool of herself.

Tsukishima didn’t seem to mind, she laughs without a trace of malice. “Thank you,” she says. 

Tadashi quickly stuffs a mini sandwich slider into her mouth and hums, still pointedly looking away.

“Here, it looks like someone else beat us to the punch,” Tsukishima gestures across the reception, to where Saeko’s sister has already brought the brides a collection of food. “Have some more of mine,” she says, not waiting for an answer before stacking a few more snacks on Tadashi’s plate. Almost all of the croquettes make it over.

“Thanks,” she says faintly. 

“Do you want another drink?” Tsukishima asks, setting her plate on small table positioned next to their bench. Brushing her fingers on a napkin, she says, “I was going to get a cocktail, can I get you one?”

Dazed, Tadashi nods mutely and watches as Tsukishima stands and vanishes into the crowd. When she’s gone, Tadashi brings a hand up to her heart and doubles over. If she didn’t know any better, she would say that Tsukishima is  _ courting _ her or something. But that didn’t make any sense, did it? Tsukishima barely knew her at all. 

She’s rescued from her thoughts and the increasing intimacy of the situation by Hinata’s appearance. Her dress is similar to Tadashi’s, but with more grey and less pink to balance out her brilliant hair. Kageyama trails behind her, dressed formally in a suit that’s nice but notably separate from the bridal party. 

“Isn’t this place beautiful?” Hinata asks, collapsing onto the bench against her. 

“She’s trying to eat, watch out, dumbass,” Kageyama scolds, politely pulling up a chair. 

Hinata sticks her tongue out, “Yamaguchi doesn’t mind. She actually appreciates me.”

“Because she sees you like, three times a year. The dilution helps with handling your stupidity,” she fires back, rolling her eyes.

Tadashi laughs, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Do you want some of this?” she offers her plate to the couple, who happily take plenty. She’s surprised that they leave any for her, actually.

“ _ Ugh _ , my feet are killing me,” Hinata kicks up her feet, showing Tadashi her shoes. They’re short heels with a silvery sheen that matches much of the wintery decor. “The walk to the car is going to be  _ frigid.” _

Kayegama sighs dramatically, “I  _ told _ you to bring an extra pair of shoes, but you never listen.”

“I’m just glad the wedding is inside,” Tadashi says, glancing to one of the tall windows. The venue is completely snow-themed, with lighting meant to emulate the sun shining through ice, and there are chandeliers of glittering crystal hung on the high ceilings. It’s warm, but the lights are cool and blue, and it feels like a fairy tail. The outside world is blanketed with clean snow, but from inside, it’s hard to pay mind.

“I don’t know,” Hinata says thoughtfully, “They were talking about having an outdoor wedding at a hot spring for a little while, that would have been cool,” she finishes.

“They weren’t actually thinking about doing that,” Tsukishima reappears, two glasses in hand, and rolls her eyes at Hinata. “I was sitting there, thank you.”

“Gah, you’re so mean,” Hinata complains, but rolls to the side anyway, making space for Tsukishima on the bench. “You got Yamaguchi a drink, but not me?” she asks, when she sees Tadashi take the glass.

“We were having a conversation before you arrived,” and even though there’s not much to the words, her tone is teasingly dry and judgemental. She smiles at Tadashi before settling into the spot, like they were sharing an inside joke.

The conversation picks up easily once Tsukishima’s settled, and Tadashi gets a hilarious insight into Kiyoko’s college friend group. Between Hinata’s childish excitement, Kageyama’s bluntness, and Tsukishima’s dry sarcasm, it’s like watching a sitcom, and she laughs herself almost into tears. The three of them seem to enjoy her amusement, because they keep escalating their jokes and banter until Tadashi is laughing so hard she can’t breathe.

She’s still wiping tears from her eyes by the time dinner rolls around. Her seat is between Suga and Tsukishima, and it’s around the last course that Tadashi begins to suspect that Kiyoko and Saeko were up to something when they planned the seating arrangement. Tadashi doesn’t know Suga as well, and even though she’s easy to talk and joke with, Tadashi finds herself leaning into Tsukishima’s now-familiar company more and more. 

It’s a little ridiculous, but Tadashi finds herself thinking that it feels like she’s known Tsukishima her whole life, instead of just as friends-of-friends. Tadashi tells her about her cat, Pacha, who goes with her to work by riding on her shoulder. 

“How on  _ earth _ did you train her to do that?” Tsukishima asks, leaning close in her curiosity.

Laughing, Tadashi shrugs, “When I adopted her, she already liked getting up on my shoulders. So I just took her to work one day and now she complains if I don’t bring her with me.”

Tadashi learns that while Tsukishima doesn’t have any pets, her brother has a puppy that she often watches while he’s away. As the meal moves into the last course, they show each other the pet pictures they have one their phones. Tsukishima almost chokes on her drink at a picture of Pacha dressed up for the new year. 

The conversation flows so smoothly that Tadashi almost misses dessert, but Hinata’s quick to save them from missing out. Tsukishima suggests that they each take one of the flavors and share, so they can both enjoy the two different cakes. Tadashi tries not to think too hard about the implications of sharing wedding cake, but agrees.

They have their own private conversation over bites of raspberry chocolate and strawberry white cream cake. Tsukishima is sarcastic, interesting, brilliantly smart, and luminously beautiful. When Tadashi tells a particularly good story, her laugh is low and smooth and makes her eyes crinkle charmingly. She gives her full attention when Tadashi speaks, and asks all the right questions while resting her chin in her hand. Her dry humor would be off-putting to others, but Tadashi thinks she’s witty. She’s also really generous, giving Tadashi the bigger half of her cake, even though Tadashi can tell she likes it just as much. 

After dessert and the heartfelt speeches comes the dancing, and unlike at the bachelorette celebration, Tadashi drinks a little less and has already made her peace with sitting the dancing out. She’s not even sure if she could handle any coordinated movements with the heels she’s wearing.

But when Tsukishima holds one graceful hand out to her, she can’t help but accept. It’s easy, dancing with her and their friends, the music hand-picked just for them. Outside, the night is chilly, pristine snow blanketing the ground. In the circle of Tsukishima’s arms, it’s glowing and warm. 

When Tadashi falls into bed that night, feet sore and thoroughly exhausted, she’s full of bliss and memories of Tsukishima’s smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Life after the wedding resumes normality, at least for a few weeks. 

Tadashi returns to her cozy apartment above the bookstore and tells her cat, Pacha, all about the trip. Soft, fuzzy feelings from the wedding linger, making her smile when she’s doing mundane things like laundry or dishes. Pacha listens and watches with attentive flicks of her tail, the perfect audience for Tadashi’s gushy ramblings.

The memories from the long weekend follow her around, making her smile so much that her boss, Takeda, even mentions it. She points out Tadashi’s good mood with a knowing grin that makes Tadashi want to hide her face. It gets to the point where Takeda doesn’t even have to say anything, she just looks at her like she knows something Tadashi doesn’t.

But, even if Takeda says she’s glowing, she’s just feeling refreshed and recharged after having such a lovely time seeing her beautiful friends. 

Except, her thoughts turn back to Tsukishima almost constantly.

She can’t stop thinking about her. When she’s stocking the new arrival shelves, she reads the dust jacket blurbs and wonders which novel Tsukishima would enjoy most. A dry, satirical dark comedy, or a meaningful, emotional family drama? She finds herself picking out things Tsukishima may like everywhere. At work, at the grocery store, and even when she’s at home, browsing for movies. 

Memories of Tsukishima in her slim, dark wedding suit, her attention placed squarely on Tadashi as her hair fell in golden rays around her face, a soft smile on her lips, jump into Tadashi’s life constantly. At night, when she’s drifting to sleep, she sees the expression Tsukishima had when Tadashi dragged her onto the dancefloor during the bachelorette celebration. Startled, but not by the offer, seemingly by Tadashi herself.

Tadashi knew she was reading into their brief interactions far more than she needed to. She tells herself that no, Tsukishima wasn’t surprised by Tadashi, just by the overly-familiar nickname she’d invented thanks to the alcohol. And really, she has no way of knowing which things Tsukishima would actually like. It was almost like there were two Tsukishima’s: the one living in her head, and the one living in another city.

At times, she daydreamed so hard that she caught herself imagining the sound of Tsukishima’s laughter in her cozy apartment.

Her budding feelings became more difficult to ignore after Saeko and Kiyoko posted their wedding photos. She gets an email notification and follows the link to the online album, which is easily a few hundred photos. Tadashi spends the better part of an afternoon on her laptop, scrolling through them.

The photos are chronological. At the beginning, there are pictures of the brides and bridal party getting ready for the day. There are a few classic, timeless shots, like ones of the wedding dresses hung side by side, or their hands clasped over a bouquet, wedding rings on display. The photographers got a mix of posed and candid shots, and did a thorough job of covering the entire day. There’s one of Saeko and Kiyoko laughing in each other’s arms between poses, the bridal party smiling and laughing as they shuffle to a new location. 

Tadashi is in a bunch of them, and a couple stand out as her favorites. In one picture, she readjusts a bobby pin in Saeko’s hair, in another, she’s clasping Kiyoko by her arms and earnestly telling her something. She grins when she sees the photo of the three of them together, hugging and squishing their faces together. That one was posed, and she’s happy with how it turned out.

She keeps scrolling, laughing when she clicks past the really good ones. The photographers managed to catch each one of their personalities so perfectly. Hinata is airborne in practically all of them, her hair bright and wild against the snow. The album is really perfect. 

One of the photos taken at dinner stands out to it, and she leaves it on her computer screen for a good, long moment. Tadashi is the only person in the picture, and she’s leaning on the dinner table. Her hand is coming up to her mouth to hide her laughter, and there’s a strand of hair falling out of place and her eyes are all crinkled, but the whole thing is just right. She tries to remember what she was laughing at. Tsukishima is out of the frame, but she was the only person Tadashi really spoke to at dinner. She can’t recall if they were talking about their pets or still exchanging college stories at that point. 

Tadashi almost doesn’t recognize herself because the angle is so perfect— when people take pictures of her laughing she usually ends up looking like a potato, but in this one, she’s almost beautiful.

_ “That dress really suits you,”  _ Tsukishima had said. Tadashi has trouble with compliments, but with this photo as evidence, she can start to believe it.

After staring at herself for a little while, Tadashi sighs and continues to click through the album. She pauses whenever Tsukishima shows up on her screen, of course, and she’s just as gorgeous as Tadashi remembers. Tadashi may have looked good in that one photo, but Tsukishima is striking in each of them. It’s like she doesn’t have a bad angle at all.

There are more pictures of the dinner, and plenty of them include the brides’ families. One picture in particular makes her gasp. It’s a quick change from the other guests to the bridal party, which is part of the reason it’s surprising, but it’s absolutely perfect. 

It’s the moment Tsukishima asked her to dance, after they shared the two slices of cake. She’s standing, holding a hand out to Tadashi, her hair tucked behind one ear and falling over one shoulder. Her expression is soft, even softer than Tadashi remembers. She’s smiling, but her eyebrow are upturned, like she’s completely enamored. 

Tadashi is reaching for her hand, but they’re not quite touching. She looks nervous and excited, but so completely carefree. 

She clicks again, hoping that there’s another from when they were beginning to dance.

She’s rewarded with a simple, black and white photo. 

The photographer caught them from the back, from the shoulders up. Tadashi is looking towards the dancefloor, but Tsukishima is looking at her and smiling. Tadashi zooms in on her face, trying to soak up every millimeter of that expression.

“I should message her,” Tadashi says, startling herself. She jumps at the sound of her own voice and glances to Pacha, who’s watching the snow fall from the kitchen window. “Do you think it would be weird?” 

She looked back to the photo, studied Tsukishima’s expression. They live in different but nearby cities, share close friends, and have a ton in common. She should be happy with their newly-established social media friendships, but how could she be content now that she knows this photo exists?

Just when she’s about to message Kiyoko to get a second opinion, she gets a text from an unfamiliar number.

It takes her three read-throughs to understand what she’s seeing. 

_ It’s Kei, from the wedding. Are you free on Saturday for coffee? I’ll be passing through town for work. _

When her brain finally starts working again, she whispers, “Holy shit,” and sets her phone down. Tadashi has a thousand questions: which friend gave Tsukishima her number, why on earth Tsukishima would want to see her, and why would she use her given name instead of her family name? Are they that close already? Did Tadashi miss something?

The only coherent thought she could muster was:  _ Mushroom croquette. _

Tsukishima  _ was _ flirting with her at the wedding. She  _ did _ find Tadashi interesting, for some reason. And even if the two of them weren’t that close, Tsukishima wanted them to be. She looked at the photo of them heading to the dancefloor again, her heart beating a mile a minute. 

“Okay, Pacha,” she says, “This is the real deal. Don’t panic.”

It’s agonizing work, sending the reply, but she gets it done.

Between sending a response and that Saturday, Tadashi spent the next days in a complete, utter gay panic. She cleaned her entire apartment three times, knocked over a huge display of new arrivals at work, forgot to eat for a full day, and left her cat at the bookstore  _ twice _ . She was so stressed over meeting Tsukishima for coffee, that by the time she shows up at the cafe, she’s reached a strange, disconnected bliss.

She breezes into the coffee shop, bundled in a hat and her favorite scarf, ready to meet her fate. Nothing could be worse than the days of purgatory she just lived, so really, actually spending time with Tsukishima would be a cakewalk. 

That is, until she meets Tsukishima’s eyes from across the room and wants to run back to her apartment and never come out.

Tsukishima seems to catch wind of her nerves, because she quickly gets up from her seat and guides Tadashi to the counter, calmly asking what she’d like to order. Her voice is low and sweet, even better than Tadashi remembers, and her hand is comforting on the small of her back. She pays for Tadashi’s latte and even pulls out a chair for her to sit when she steers them back to the table.

She must really look terrible, if Tsukishima thought she couldn’t handle the chair herself. 

Tsukishima watches her settle into her seat, then asks, “How have you been?”

“Nervous,” she blurts, then clamps her mouth shut so tightly that her teeth click together. “Oh, god,” she looks away, her eyes conveniently landing on an exit. 

“I’ve been nervous, too.”

Tadashi snaps back around, half expecting Tsukishima to be making fun of her. But there’s nothing but sincerity on her face. “R-really?”

She nods, tucking a strand of hand behind her ear, “Really,” she confirms. Tadashi takes a deep breath and looks at her. Tsukishima is wearing a forest green cable knit sweater that falls perfectly from her lean frame. Dark wash jeans and chunky brown boots bring the look together, stark against her pale complexion and hair. Her gaze is sincere and focused, and there’s a little crease between her brows.

“Okay,” Tadashi says finally. It’s probably not the reply Tsukishima expected, but she feels the tension in her shoulders begin to melt away. She takes a sip of her drink, which is sugary and delicious.

“Good, right?” Tsukishima reclines into her chair, and Tadashi realizes that she’d been tense, too. “I try to come here whenever I’m in town.”

“I forgot about this place,” Tadashi admits, “I’m glad you suggested it.” It’s a cute coffee shop in a neighborhood that Tadashi never really passes through. The atmosphere is warm and the perfect amount of kitschy. There are baked goods in a glass display case by the counter that Tadashi notices now that her nerves have subsided. “Do you ever get any of their sweets?”

“Oh, whenever possible.”

Taking a deep breath, Tadashi gestures to the counter, “Let’s get some then, which is your favorite?” They go back to the counter and Tadashi pays, this time, sneaking her card to the cashier before Tsukishima can even realize what she’s doing, which actually makes her blush. 

Tadashi is satisfied to realize that cool, collected Tsukishima blushes at small romantic gestures as much as she likes to make them. As they talk, and somehow, flirt, Tadashi realizes that Tsukishima has been flirting with her since that conversation on the sidewalk before the bachelorette. She shifted her chair closer and leans towards Tadashi as they speak, never taking her eyes off of her.

Tadashi is really, really happy when she realizes, and eagerly hangs onto their conversation, which flows easily after they get their pastries. They update each other on work and the little things they’ve been up to since the wedding. Tsukishima asks about Pacha and the bookstore, and out of curiosity, Tadashi asks her about some of the books she’s been reading.

She was right, when she’d guessed that Tsukishima would prefer a dark comedy novel over family drama. It’s more satisfying than Tadashi expected it to be.

The sun begins to set, and they’re almost the last people still at the cafe when they realize how late it is. The pastries are long gone, and there’s barely more than drops left at the bottom of their cups. The afternoon had passed too quickly for Tadashi’s liking, and she wishes the day would never end. She contemplates asking Tsukishima to dinner, but chickens out.

They walk together to the train station, and Tsukishima even takes her all the way to the platform. In the light of the setting sun, Tsukishima’s features are cast with gold and pink, making her even more lovely and striking. 

“Do you know why I was nervous, earlier?” Tsukishima asks, as they wait for the train. As always, she’s focused intently on Tadashi.

Tadashi blushes, but shakes her head. She doesn’t want to say it, in case it isn’t true.

Tsukishima steps into her space, her intelligent gaze reading her expression. She’s taller than Tadashi, and she can feel Tsukishima’s warmth. When she lifts a hand to brush Tadashi’s hair from her cheek, she doesn’t feel the rush of nerves she expects. 

Tadashi feels brave, like when she pulled Tsukishima onto the dance floor and gave her a new nickname. Just like it did in that moment, it feels like she and Tsukishima are the only two people in the world. She takes a deep breath.

“I like you,” Tadashi tells her, and she blushes so hard she thinks she’ll combust.

But Tsukishima’s cheeks go just as pink after the surprise flashes in her eyes, and she begins to laugh. Then, she pulls Tadashi into her arms and presses her face to her shoulder. The material of her coat is a little coarse, but it’s warm and smells so good. Tadashi starts to laugh, too, not really knowing why, and holds tight. Snow begins to fall around them, clean and fresh. For once, Tadashi doesn’t feel the cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short n sugary n sweet. thanks for reading!!


End file.
